Poll Workers

There are several positions available and are assigned by the Election Commission based on need and experience level of the worker:

• Precinct Officer – The officer leads the precinct team and supports the other precinct worker positions
• Machine Operator – Assists voters with getting assigned to their voting machine
• Registrar – Verifies the identity and the signature of the voter
• Machine Technician – These individuals have received more training on the machines themselves and are dispatched to precincts when there’s a problem with a machine
• Inspector – These are individuals who are generally also roving throughout the Election Day addressing issues and resupplying precincts when necessary
• Office Assistant – These are generally experienced precinct workers that assist Commission staff with phones on Election Day

Each polling location is staffed according to need. We do try to be sensitive to workers’ residential proximity to precincts, however we cannot always promise we’ll be able to accommodate everyone.

Yes. And as an added bonus, you’ll get paid for the training in addition to the time you serve at the precinct. We generally try to schedule those within 20-35 days of the Election Day. We’ve generally hosted those in the evening, to help accommodate work schedules of the precinct workers, at the Election Commission office at 109 Academy Avenue in Jasper. We’ll offer multiple dates and those sessions generally run 2-3 hours. We also strongly encourage you bring your license, social security card, and a voided check because this training will also double as your onboarding to make sure we get you paid.

We will generally contact you with a letter in the mail providing the location of the precinct and any other pertinent information. There will be times that we may contact you via phone or email following that; particularly when we have a change in assignment due to family emergency or the like. We’ll have those initial assignments ironed out and letters sent about 10-15 days before the Election Day. Those who receive Early Voting hours will, of course, be notified before then.

We advocate casual business attire. Steer clear of ripped jeans or dirty clothing. We ask you to reconsider sweatpants, sweatshirt, flip-flops, short shorts or skirts, or tank tops. Collared shirts and pants or nice jeans (or hemmed shorts depending on the precinct and the time of year) is a nice base. We encourage you to bring layers because there is a fairly wide diversity in temperatures from one precinct to another. Poll workers absolutely cannot wear any clothing, apparel, or accessories advocating or opposing a political party, candidate, or ballot measure.

You will be considered an employee of the county and you will receive your hourly pay via bank transfer. Those payments are timed with the county’s regular bi-monthly payroll, so we expect no more than three weeks following Election Day. Regarding the size of that bank transfer, the frustrating answer: “It depends.” Most workers who only work on Election Day will receive, historically, between $132 and $145 for Election Day plus $20-$30 for the mandatory training. Some positions that work several days during Early Voting as well will, of course, see higher overall compensation.

We recommend that you bring whatever medications, food, and beverages you think is prudent for the entire 12 hour(ish) shift. Once you are sworn in as Election Officials, you will be expected to serve the length of the precinct being open. The precinct officer will allow for breaks as the ebb and flow of voter volume allows.

We’ll try not to be hurt by your not wanting to come and see us again, however, yes, you will be required to attend training for each Election Day that you work.

We REALLY encourage poll workers to take advantage of the 15 day Early Voting period. If the voter volume remains consistent and/or we are unable to shuffle personnel around to accommodate you voting (assuming you’re not working your assigned precinct) there is a better than zero chance that you will not have time to vote on Election Day.

State statute requires a balanced representation of the major, recognized parties at each precinct. We staff equal number of Democrats and Republicans in accordance with the law.

The famous: “It depends”. If your spouse, parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of a candidate on the ballot or a write-in candidate for a county-wide office, then you will not be able to work an election in which they are on the ballot. You ARE eligible for the elections in which that relative does not appear on the ballot. If a relative from the above list is a county district or municipal candidate, then we would be able to utilize you at a precinct in which your relative does not appear on that year’s ballot. For instance, if your aunt is running for District 1 Constable, we would be legally allowed to use you as a poll worker as long as the precinct we assigned is not fully or partially representing District 1 constituents.  

All municipal (town and city) and county employees, unless working under the direct supervision of an elected official on the ballot, may work as a poll worker. 

• We will need a Republican and a Democrat worker from each precinct to ride back to the Commission Office at the close of your precinct with the voting equipment and ballot box. This may take a little pre-planning such as meeting at Commission Office early on the Election Day and carpooling with a fellow poll worker from the office to the precinct.
• Each precinct will have an emergency number in which the precinct officer will have to call the Commission Office or vice versa for emergencies. We ask that you silence your cell phones while working as a representative of the Election Commission.
• Bring you phone charger. Though we ask they be silenced while you’re working, there’s never a good time to have a dead battery on your phone.
• Working the polls has the bonus of being able to see friends you haven’t seen for a while. The temptation to “catch up” can lead to unnecessary delays. It’s not about being rude to the person you’re talking to, it’s about showing respect for the people behind them. Smile, trade phone numbers, and get them voted as quickly as we can.